The opening verse of this passage shows us the patient perseverance of our Lord Jesus Christ as a teacher. We are told that "Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan.

The scene brought before us in these four verses is deeply interesting. We see young children brought to Christ, "that He should touch them," and the disciples rebuking those that brought them.

The story we have now read is recorded no less than three times in the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all inspired by one Spirit to write it for our learning. There is no doubt a wise purpose in this three-fold repetition of the same simple facts.

The first thing which demands our attention in these verses, is the glorious promise which they contain. The Lord Jesus said to His apostles, "I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a…

Let us mark in this passage, the ignorance of our Lord's disciples. We find James and John petitioning for the first places in the kingdom of glory. We find them confidently declaring their ability to drink of their Master's cup and be baptized with their Master's baptism.

We read in these verses an account of one of our Lord's miracles. Let us see in it, as we read, a vivid emblem of spiritual things. We are not studying a history which concerns us personally no more than the exploits of Caesar or Alexander.